Stockade Historic District, Kingston, Ulster County

The Fred Johnston House was built in 1812 as the personal residence of lawyer and New York State Senator John Sudam (1782-1835). The classic Federal-style home has a distinctive clapboard exterior that makes it one of the highlights of Kingston’s historic Stockade District. Early visitors to the house, friends of John Sudam, included Washington Irving of “Rip Van Winkle” fame and U.S. President Martin Van Buren. The house was sold in the 1880s to the Van Leuven family.

The house was then purchased in 1938 by Fred J. Johnston (1911-1993), a noted preservationist and antiques dealer specializing in 18th and early 19th century furnishings and decorative arts. He fully restored the house to its original magnificence and used it to operate his antiques business. Upon his death, Johnston willed the house to the community preservation organization known as the Friends of Historic Kingston (FOHK). Today, the FOHK operates the house as a museum and offers guided tours. Visit the Friends of Historic Kingston website (www.fohk.org) for more information on the Fred J. Johnston House and the greater Kingston area.